Witherspoon & Mangold Reunite for Three Little Words

Eight years ago, Reese Witherspoon starred in James Mangold’s musical biopic Walk the Line opposite Joaquin Phoenix, playing June Carter to his Johnny Cash, and it took her all the way to Oscar night where she won her first and only nomination in the Lead Actress category.

Now the two are reuniting for a new project called Three Little Words, an adaptation of Ashley Rhodes-Courter’s memoir, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Once again, James Mangold will direct Witherspoon as its star.

The memoir, adapted by Lewis Colick (The Fighter) and Michael Petroni (The Book Thief), is the story of a young Florida girl who entered the child welfare system when she was four and establishes a relationship with a volunteer (Witherspoon) who discovers her there nine years later. Witherspoon’s character decides to try to find the girl’s biological mother and convince her to give up parental rights to allow the teen a new and better life.

Amanda Seyfried is currently in talks for the co-starring role of the girl’s mother but no deal is in place. Mangold will produce along with his partner Cathy Konrad (who found the project and bought the rights) under their Tree Line Films banner. Jami Gertz’s Lime Orchard Productions are also producing. Universal sales for the film will begin at the Cannes Film Festival next week and they hope to move fast and start shooing the project in Florida as early as September.

This announcement comes shortly after word that Witherspoon was in talks to join Keanu Reeves in the long-in-development outer space love story Passengers, written by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).

Of course, we don’t have to tell you that Mangold’s current project is the summer superhero movie The Wolverine with Hugh Jackman, which comes out on July 26.